Folding top frame for automobiles



April 14, 1925. E. S. TOMKINS ET AL FOLDING TOP FRAME FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 2. 1924 5.1m 544,04 zmm,

mvzu'rons, 4

vBy

Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN SHEPPARD TOMKINS, OF HAY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AND ALEXANDER MAIR OF MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, 'AUSTBALIA.

FOLDING TOP FRAME FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed August 2, 1924. Serial No. 729,856.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ED IN SHEPPARD TOMKINS and ALEXANDER MAIR, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Desborough Macauley Street, Hay, New South Wales, Australia, and Victoria Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Austral a, respectively, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Top Frames for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises an improved folding top frame for an automobile, and it has been devised with the object of providing a folding truss frame structure, the

members of which may be extended or collapsed with very moderate efiort by one person, and whilst intermediate the extended and collapsed positions will be in stable equilibrium. The usual attachments to the windshield stanchions are utilized for steadying the structure, which is supported on two pairs of pivot studs on the car body, one of which carries the feet of the main stanchions and the other the bottom ends of cantilever anchor links.

The frame isof the three bow type, that is to say it carries three top bows or hoops and a front stretcher bow, and the cover cloth is stretched from the backedge of the car body over the rearmost hoop which is carried on the main stanchions, thence over a lift bow which is carried on hanger stanchions, said stanchions being pivotally footed on the main stanchions. and thence over the third hoop which is carried on an auxiliary frame whichis pivotally footed on a strut stretcher which connects the hanger stanchions and the rear ends of the side stretchers of the frame, at the fore ends of which the front stretcher 'bow is carried. The auxiliary frame is also pivotally footed to the front stretchers, and those stretchers are also articulated through cantilevers to the hanger stanchions. The back ends of the cantilevers are anchored by links to pivot bolts on the body, these pivot bolts being located rearwardly of the body pivot bolts on which the main stanchions are footed. The rear ends of the cantilevers are also connected by stay links to the main stanchions.

In the accompanying drawings I Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a top frame according to the present invention, the positional relation of the frame to the car body being indicated by dotted lines I in the lower part of the figure. It is to be understood that the'truss frame shown in this view is fitted on either side of the car body the top bows spanning the inter= mediate space.

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding with Fig. 1 but showing the frame and top in intermediate position between collapse and extension; in this position the frameis self sustained, exhibiting no tendency to'fall either forwardly or backwardly but'being readily movable in either direction.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View showing the top collapsed. V y

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary back elevational View exhibiting the end of the pull tape by which the lifting. operation is performed.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View.

10 indicates the rear portion of a motor body, 11 pivot lugs fixed on the side of the body 10, on which lugs the main stanchions 14 are pivotally footed in the usual way. 12 are rear pivot lugs disposed at some distance behind the main pivot lugs 11. The

bottom ends of the cantilever anchor links 19 are pivotally carried on the lugs 12. ,At their top ends these links 19 are articulated at 31 to the rear ends 42 of the cantilevers 15; these cantilevers are bent'to offer clear ance and they are fulcrumed at 29 on the hanger stanchions 17, which are pivotally footed at 30 on the main stanchions 14 about midway of their length. The articulation 31 is connected also by stay links 41 to the main stanchions 14 above the pivot points 30 on which the hanger stanchions 17 are footed. The stretcher struts 18, which with the stretchers 16 compose the longitudinals or stretcher members of the frame, are pivotally mounted at 25 on, the hanger stauchions 17. The members 16 and 18 are jointed to fold at. 24, and the fore ends of the cantilevers 15 are pivotally connected at 23 to the stretchers-16 forward oftlie joints 24. The stretchers 16 are pivotally connected forwardly of the pivots23 to the auxiliary frame which comprises members 20, pivotally footed at 26 on the strutstretchers 18, and link members 21 pivotally connected at opposite ends to the memhere 20 (as at 2 8) {and'to tliestretcher's 16 1 shield stanchions or equivalent steadying means above the car-dash; The cloth covering36 is fixed at 37 to the top edge of the body IO, and'it'is thence carried over the bows 3'2, 33, ,and 34, and fixed at the r fo'rward end ofthe bow 35, and it is car- 'ried downward over the sides 38' of the structure to secrete the truss work as indicated in dotted lines. 39' is a draw. tape which is fixed to the bow 3'5 and runs freely oven the bows 34, 33', andBQ, emerging through an aperture in the back drop of the top as shown in Figs t, the toggle end ofthistape is accessible to a person standing behind the car to enable him to draw the top backward through the position shown in Fig. 2' towards the position shown to bring it from extension to collapse.

The functioning of the truss linkage is governed by the cantilevers 15., their anchor links 19 and their stay links ll. The angularrela-tion of these parts changes as the position-of the top is moved from-extension to collapse. "In the eXtended.position the stay'links f'lrarein alignment with the cantilever fulcra. 29vand functions to sustain the-hanger links 17 at'the appropriate yangle forwardly from, the main stan'ehions 14. At the same timethe cantilever anchor links 19 hold down the back ends 42 of the cantilevers, thereby sustaining the. stretchers 16- at the point 23 and through the joints 24- sustainingthe for-, ward ends of the strut stretchers 18. When the-top is uplifted (see'Fig. 2)] the articulation at upbent, the pin at 31, moving backward"-thr011-gh"an arc about the pivot '1 centre 12, until ultimately in the; collapsed, positionthe hanger stanchions 17 are folded back inclose'contact with the mainstanchions14:;(see Fig. 3) The relative positionalarrangements of the centres is such that inth-ismovement the mid portion of; -theJ-IOngitudinalS 624) is 'swung downward loutof the, horizontal line, whilst the stretchers 16} are tipped upwardlyand approximately in parallelism with si-milar tipping. movements applied to the aijixiliaryframe members 20; and to the hanger stanchions 17 When the top is in thelfull}? collapsedposition the auxiliary frame {members; 120 set down on top ofthe hanger; stanch-ionsvl'i and gthe stretchers 16 ,set down ontop of the members 720, so

that the whole assembly cemesrtoa closely nested position with the joint position 24 disposed slightly rearward of the main body pivots 11 so as not to interfere with door ciear'a-Iic'e. ZThe collapsing movement is eifeetedby pulling on the tape 39 after firstre'leasing the steadying attachments at the bow 35. In lifting the top, the structure is pushed upwardly from behind, pres chions 14:. 1

What we claim as our invention and'desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1.. In a folding car top frame of the character described,-the combination with main stanchions pivotally anchored to the body of 'the car, hanger stanchions pivotally carried by the main stanchions, and stretcher members pivotally carried by the hanger stanchions,,of cantilevers fulcrumed on the hanger stanchions, their. forward arms pivotally supporting the stretcher members, and their rearward arms link connected to the body of the can I 2. In a folding car top frame of'the char acter described, the combination with the elements as claimed in claim 1, of stay links pivotally anchoringthe rearward. arms of the cantilevers to the main stanchionsa 3. A foldingcar top -frame ofthechar acter described, as-claimed in claim" 1, 5 in which saidlink connection com-prises anchor links pi-votally connecting the ends of said rearward arms, to anchor points on the .lever anchor links pivotally connecting the ends of the rearward varms of said cantilevers to anchor points on the-bodyof the car disposed rearwardly of the anchor points of the main stanchions; and stay 7 links pivotally connecting saidrearward arm ends to pivot points on themain stanchions.

5. m foldigng can top frame of charactervdescribed, as claimed in clailn' 4, in

which said pivot points are disposed further from the anchor points of the main stanchions than said mid-points.

6. A folding our top frame of the character described, as claimed in claim 4:, said stretcher members including stretchers and stretcher struts, the latter pivotally connecting the ends of the stretchers to the hanger stanchions and substantially aligned With the stretchers when the frame is open.

7. A folding car top frame of the character described, as claimed in claim 4, said stretcher members including stretchers and stretcher struts, the latter pivotally connecting the ends of the stretchers to the hanger stanchions and substantially aligned with the stretchers when the frame is open said forward arms of the cantilevers pivotally supporting the stretcher members at points forwardly adjacent the connecting points of the stretchers and stretcher struts.

8. A folding car top frame of the'character described, comprising main stan'chions pivotally anchored to the body of the car, hanger. stanchions pivotally carried by the main stanchions and adapted to swing forwardly of the latter, strut stretchers pivotally carried by said hanger stanohions, stretchers pivotally carried by said strut stretchers cantilevers fulcrumed on the hanger stanchions, the forward ends of said cantilevers pivotally supporting said stretchers, and the rear ends of said cantilevers being link connected With both the main stanchions and the rear'part of the body of the car, and a truss frame pivotally footed on both-the strut stretchers and the stretchers.

In testimony whereof We aifix our signatures. V

EDWIN SHEPPARD TOMKINS. ALEXANDER MAIR. 

